Janus
by tiddlywinx
Summary: Ginny finds that sometimes people put on a mask to conceal what they really want to say. Draco/Ginny. Complete. No angst, slight humor.


**I have a prompt generator on my Google home page that creates phrases to go with. I decided to use some as prompts for Harry Potter related stories. Most will be Draco/Ginny and I will post them as separate one chapter pieces.**

**This story is broken into a bunch of scenes in order to cover the time of a year.**

--

Prompt: "the lake is frozen; it is January"

Rating: PG

Draco/Ginny

**Janus**

Ginny watched her housemates glide across the ice like snow fairies come out to play after a storm. Mid-year exams were finally over. The teachers were nice enough to give students another rest at the end of the month, in order to ease the pain of returning from winter break in December. The lake froze in November that year, due to an odd dip in temperature. It was an early winter, and Ginny soaked up every white frosted minute.

She sat for another half hour before the cold finally seeped into her bones. Ginny stood up, walked towards the castle, her mind set on a cup of hot chocolate.

"Watch it," someone snapped, shoving Ginny into a wall. She looked up and saw Draco Malfoy sneering down at her.

Normally, she would have put up a fight; today she was too tired. "Sorry."

Draco huffed indignantly, not quite sure how to react to her subservience. She shot him one last glance and walked away.

January soon extended it's icy silence into February. The heads of houses started a campaign to boost morale. They began with a St. Valentine's Masquerade Ball. Ginny's friends snatched up dates faster than you could say "Pygmy Puff".

The last little Weasely found herself dateless and confused.

But Ginny didn't need some boy to babysit the entire night. So, she took the high road: look hot and make everyone jealous.

--

The entire school arrived at the event. Gossip flew through ears. Brilliant colors twirled across the dance-floor. McGonagall had even altered the enchanted ceiling to twinkle different colors. Harry had asked Luna (at the last minute, of course) to go. The crazy Lovegood girl opted for a sunflower gold gown that melted into her summer hair. Harry barely took notice, reluctantly donning a yellow flower to match his sunny date.

Then, he stared at the staircase.

Ginny, sheathed in glittering white, descended like an angel into the crowd. Harry felt the breath catch in his throat. Why had he let her go? He couldn't recall. All the blood drumming in his ears was making it difficult to think. Ginny suddenly disappeared; her petite figure hid her beneath the hundreds of revelers. He had to find her. Now.

Ginny felt a bit self conscious in her layers of frosted white, almost as if she were a large pile of icing. But Colin had assured her that she looked absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. She grasped at the last of her confidence and strode through the crowd.

Her mask was adorned with swan feathers and enough glitter to choke a small unicorn, but it couldn't hide the trademark Weasely hair. She scanned the mass of bodies, searching for some sign of her friends. Then, a tall boy, swathed head to toe in black, bowed deeply before her and offered his hand. She accepted.

The music steadied to a waltz. This allowed Ginny plenty of time to take in her masked man's features: paler skin, sharp jaw, thin shoulders. He kept his eyes slightly hooded, and she couldn't quite make out the color. Then, she noticed a small emblem on his shirt: two faces, one happy, one sad.

"Janus?" she asked, suddenly curious.

He pulled her closer, whispering in her ear. "God of two faces, two personalities that contradict each other. Am I correct?"

"Yes," she breathed in reply. Something was coming to her. Something like a realization.

Suddenly, the song was over. The boy was gone. And Ginny was alone once again.

--

Ginny mulled over that night for a good while. She was frustrated. Who was this person? What right did he have to be so mysterious and sexy? When would she see him again?

February melted into March, and then April. Ginny started to forget, simply recalling the memory when she was bored or lonely. Someone out there wanted her, and she was going to find out who it was.

--

"Harry?"

The voice snapped Harry out of his fake expression of interest. It was Ginny. His Ginny. Well, not yet. But she would be soon.

"Yeah, Gin?" he replied, easily, cooly. Or so he tried.

Ginny plopped down on the couch beside him; her cute red pigtails bounced in response. "You know the masquerade ball a few months ago."

"Yeah."

"Were you wearing all black? No other colors?"

Harry hesitated. "No...why?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "No reason." Then she hopped back off the couch, out the portrait hole, and into the hallway.

_Of course it wasn't Harry_, she thought angrily, _You know who it is. You just won't admit it._

Ginny inhaled deeply, calming herself for the confrontation she was about to engage.

"_Snaca scinn_," she whispered in front of the Slytherin entrance. Ginny had acquired the password from some first year. (They were so easy to spook.) The stone doors made a grand scraping noise as they opened a small frame for her to walk through. Blaise and Draco lay sprawled on the couches. Ginny was glad Pansy was elsewhere.

"Zabini, leave. I need to talk to Malfoy."

Blaise gave a slow smile. "Manners, Weasely. You do want to get out of here alive, don't you?"

Ginny glared at him, fists clenched. Blaise stretched out like a lazy cat; he wasn't moving anytime soon.

"Fine," she continued, turning her attention to Draco, "You danced with me at the ball."

Draco casually raised an eyebrow. "That I did."

"Why?" Ginny demanded. She sounded like a petulant child.

"Must everything I do have a reason?" he countered.

She huffed, which Draco thought was rather cute. "You just don't socialize with me after centuries of family hatred and not have a reason. You have to have a reason. You just do."

He rolled his eyes. "Given our family history, what makes you believe I would ever explain myself to you, Weasely?"

"Well. Fine!" She stormed out of the common room, more confused that when she entered.

Blaise turned to his friend. "So when are you going to admit you like that redheaded tart?"

"Probably never."

--

Now, she was furious. No. More than furious. Enraged, vengeful, ready to strangle his ferret-y little neck. How dare he make her look like such an idiot! She was poised, confident even. And a few careful words from his upper-class mouth sent her whole tirade crumbling to the floor.

He had quite the effect on her.

Ginny was so perturbed that all she could focus on was Draco. How annoying he was. How stupid he was. How beautiful his eyes were. Wait. What?

Did she seriously have that thought? Did she, God forbid, _like_ him?

Oh, bugger.

--

The lake had melted; it was May. Ginny changed into her favorite spring skirt and some comfortable shoes. She decided to take a walk around the grounds. Maybe she would even spot the giant squid.

The day blew in a warm southern breeze that lifted the stray hairs off Ginny's face. She was ready for summer, ready for some new adventure away from Hogwarts. After a while, she sat on a patch of damp grass and closed her eyes. It was nice to finally relax. At least she wasn't focusing on that attractive git anymore. Bloody hell. She just did.

And then there he was. Standing in front of her in slacks and a white dress shirt.

"Hullo," she half mumbled, her brain sun-soaked.

"'Hullo' to you to," he said jokingly.

Who was this boy? And what did he do with surly Draco Malfoy? "What are you doing here?"

Draco sat on his haunches. "I was looking for someone."

Her heart skipped. "Someone?"

"Well, there's this girl," he explained, positioning himself beside her, "She has atrociously orange hair, freckles, about yea high."

"My hair's red," Ginny said defensively.

"You mustn't be her then." Draco leaned in and met her soft lips.

They were two faces as one.


End file.
